Exorcising Ed Muskie

Does anyone have any doubt that if Hillary goes on to win the Democratic nomination, we'll be hearing about her "anti-Muskie moment" for as long as there's a New Hampshire primary?

Comments

Those tears may really have had a decisive effect. It's amazing.

Posted by Korha | January 8, 2008 9:34 PM

Hillary makes me want to throw up. If the idiots of the Democratic Party want to nominate an unelectable candidate, go ahead. I'll look forward to casting my vote for whoever runs against her.

Posted by Billary | January 8, 2008 9:46 PM

I'm not for taking people's votes away for basing them on something that has nothing to do with the ability to govern, but if someone voted for Hillary because they took pity on her for this, they need a civics class. Pronto. Many people cried (and died) for the right to vote, and to base it on this would be obscene.

Posted by Scienrtific | January 8, 2008 9:49 PM

Ugh. I didn't know robots could get choked up. Something wrong with the programming.

Posted by Alex | January 8, 2008 9:51 PM

So much for the alleged desire for bipartisan cooperation. The NH Demos are putting forth one of the most divisive candidates in modern American political history. Excellent work.

Posted by Paul Boyer | January 8, 2008 9:51 PM

Many people cried (and died) for the right to vote, and to base it on this would be obscene.

It probably has less to do with that, and more to do with the absurd and outlandish media over-reaction that followed her "tears." The ridiculous treatment she got at their hands probably spurred many a sympathetic voter to vote for her. I'm not from NH and I don't support Hillary, but the knee-jerk in me would have had trouble NOT voting for her, just to put it back in the face of the Hillary haters.

Posted by Xanthippas | January 8, 2008 11:18 PM

I don't think that the tears were manufactured, but were instead the product of exhaustion and fear, and the simple toll of the decathalon that is our campaign system. (Don't the British do this in about 8 weeks?) But I'll bet dollars to donuts that the entire campaign team were kicking themselves that she didn't do the important part of what went on in that moment -- the normal tone of voice, the pauses, the fact that she really looked like she was thinking about what she was saying in the moment instead of pressing "play" somewhere in her brain -- every day for the last year. Because that's what really connects with people. If she continues to do this, she'll really do better than people like myself -- who would never vote for her -- would hope she would. Watching her victory speech, I thought the policy section was the weakest, and if I were working for her, I'd say focus on that "finding my own voice" piece and you'll actually tap into where women -- feminist veterans who've been disappointed with the results, and younger women who are all about finding their own voice in a world of choices -- actually are today. But please don't anyone tell her campaign that, because I'm a Republican and want her to lose! ;)

Posted by Devorah | January 8, 2008 11:36 PM

I don't doubt that the tears were genuine - stemming from genuine exhaustion, genuine frustration and a genuine playing of the victim card that Hillary is so wont to do.

It is, however, a bit difficult to countenance when it is her own complacency and voting record that have contributed to the problems over which she is supposedly tearing up.

So congratulations, New Hampshire Democrats. While the voters on the other side of the aisle had the mental acuity to see through the charlatan that is Mitt Romney, you all couldn't summon the intellectual wherewithal to cut through the Clinton smoke screen. And Mr. Douthat is correct - if she does go on to win the nomination, we will hear about this moment every four years, and be reminded of how maybe, just maybe, you all got taken in by some tears and a catch in the throat. Hold your heads high. Well done.

Posted by spider01 | January 9, 2008 11:20 AM

By now it's pretty clear that people either loved or hated that moment, and come November we'll probably end up with nice state-by-state count of how many people came down on either side.

Posted by Helter | January 9, 2008 9:25 PM